Anderson hit Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz's first pitch Tuesday night over the Green Monster at Fenway Park to help the White Sox jump to a good start in a 3-1 victory. Combined with a 10-inning victory Monday night, the Sox won back-to-back games for the first time since June 9-10.

Anderson became the first Sox player to hit a leadoff homer as his first home run since Thad Bosley in 1978. The home-run ball was retrieved from outside of the stadium for him to keep.

"I kind of felt like he was going first-pitch fastball," Anderson said. "I was just on it, made sure I didn't miss it. … It was a great feeling to get my first one out of the way, a very exciting moment."

The early White Sox offense provided a lead for left-hander Chris Sale, who pitched seven innings of one-run ball with four hits, one walk and nine strikeouts. He became the majors' first 12-game winner.

Adam Eaton followed Anderson's homer with a double, prompting boos from the Red Sox crowd, and scored on Melky Cabrera's sacrifice fly to left field for a 2-0 White Sox lead.

Todd Frazier hit his 20th homer of the season in the fourth for a 3-1 lead. It was his first homer since June 7 and his second hit in two nights after snapping an 0-for-22 streak with a single Monday.

"Before I even stepped on the field, we're sitting there 2-0," Sale said. "The way T.A. started that game off, it just gives you a spark. It gives you a little bit more of a jolt. It just eases the tension, to go out there and throw strikes."

Robin Ventura and Chris Sale discuss Sale's outing in the White Sox's 3-1 win over the Red Sox on Tuesday.

Robin Ventura and Chris Sale discuss Sale's outing in the White Sox's 3-1 win over the Red Sox on Tuesday.

The Red Sox had three of their hits and scored their only run in the third off Sale. Travis Shaw scored on Mookie Betts' sacrifice fly to left field to put the Red Sox on the board.

After giving up a one-out double to Shaw in the seventh, he struck out Sandy Leon and Deven Marrero to end his night.

"He was great," Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "This was one of his better ones, especially going against a lineup that has been as hot as this, to pitch the way he did. He navigated very well tonight. He was throwing strikes, a great changeup in some tough spots, and got a strikeout when he needed."

Sale got some help from his defense.

Second baseman Brett Lawrie made a leaping catch of Dustin Pedroia's line drive in the first. J.B. Shuck made a sprinting grab of Xander Bogaerts' fly ball to the center-field corner, near the sign marking 420 feet, for the first out of the sixth.

White Sox closer David Robertson entered the eighth with two on and two out, but he got Jackie Bradley Jr. to ground out on his first pitch. He pitched a scoreless ninth for the four-out save, his 18th of the season.

The Sox will look to win more than two in a row for the first time since taking four straight May 6-9 when Jose Quintana takes the mound Wednesday.

"It's momentum," Sale said. "You try to do your part to keep it rolling. That's what this game is about. It's about how you get out of the rough patches and react to those. This is big. This is a really good team. To come up here and take the first two is what we needed."

A version of this article appeared in print on June 22, 2016, in the Sports section of the Chicago Tribune with the headline "Monster master - Anderson bomb, Sale gem lead way to 2nd straight win" —
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